TICKETS IN "TATTS."

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 250, 21 October 1926, Page 10

TICKETS IN "TATTS."

MISSING POSTAL NOTES.

SEQUEL TO TEST LETTER.

CHARGES AGAINST MAIL-OPENER.

At the Police Court this morning, before Messrs E. T. Nicholla and S. J. Marks, J.P.s, Alexander Ronald McDonald (Mr. Sullivan), was charged that, while being a clerk employed at the General Post Office, he did, on October 9, steal a postal note valued at 6/, also did steal a letter containing a postal note of 6/. He was further charged that on July 2, he did steal a postal packet containing postal notes to the value of 6/, and that on October 11, contrary to his duties, he did opeii letters containing postal notes to the value of 11/6. The prosecution was conducted by Senior Detective Hammond Douglas J. S. Walker, clerk on the G.P.O. staff, said that on October 9 last, acting under instructions, he prepared a test letter addressed to Miss F. Paton, 77 Collins Street, Hobart, enclosing a note, two postal notes, and two addressed envelopes—the usual Tattersails' correspondence. Accused was a clerk in the mail room on duty as a mail-opener. The letter should have been placed in the Australian mail, but when search was made it could not be found. The reason of sending the test letter was on account of numerous complaints that letters addressed to Hobart had not reached their destination. To Mr. Sullivan: Accused had been 20 years in the Post Office service, and the file showed that he had been a good average officer. Jack A. Blyth, a keeper at the Zoo, said that about July 3 he posted a letter to a Hobart address containing postal notes of the value of 0/, also a note applying for a "Tatts"' ticket. He kept the counterfoils of the postal notes. As he did not get a ticket or acknowledgement of the letter he complained to the Post Office authorities. Percy Bowers, a litfing gangr employed by the Public Works Department, said that on October 8 he posted at Pukehua, a letter to a Hobart address, applying for two Tattersalls' tickets, with postal notes to the value of 11/6.

Detective P. J. Nalder said that he interviewed the accused on October 11 at the Post Office. After a short conversation accused got his coat, and produced several notes. Accused made a statement, and said that during the past two or three months he had opened about ten letters addressed to Hobart, containing in all about £8 in postal notes, which he had cashed.

Accused pleaded guilty, and was committed to the Supreme Court lor sentence.